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PETER Samuel
PETER Samuel

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Hands-On Guide: Launching a WordPress Blog Using AWS Lightsail (For Beginners)

Introduction
If you've ever wanted to host your own WordPress blog without dealing with complex server configurations, AWS Lightsail makes it simple. In this guide, I’ll walk you through deploying a live WordPress blog in under 10 minutes. This is ideal for beginners and anyone who wants a quick, low-cost setup to practice or publish content.

What You’ll Need

An AWS account (sign up at aws.amazon.com)

Internet access

No coding skills required

Step-by-Step: Deploy WordPress on AWS Lightsail

Go to the AWS Console and search for Lightsail

Click Create Instance

Choose Linux/Unix as the platform

Select WordPress as the application

Pick an instance plan (starting from $3.50/month)

Name your instance and click Create Instance

Wait about 2–3 minutes for your instance to be ready

Copy the Public IP address and paste it into your browser

You should now see your WordPress site live

Logging into the WordPress Admin Panel

In your browser, go to:
http://YOUR_PUBLIC_IP/wp-admin
Example: http://34.201.101.22/wp-admin

Enter the default credentials:

Username: user

Password: You will retrieve this from the Lightsail console

How to Retrieve the WordPress Password

Go to your Lightsail dashboard

Click on your WordPress instance

Click Connect using SSH

In the terminal that opens, type the following command:

cat bitnami_application_password

Copy the password that appears

What I Did Next

Once inside the WordPress dashboard, I practiced the following:

Changed the theme under Appearance > Themes

Installed the Elementor plugin for drag-and-drop page design

Created a sample blog post

Customized my site title, tagline, and added a contact page

Practiced adding images, menus, widgets, and organizing posts by categories

This gave me hands-on experience with real web design and content management.

Why I Chose AWS Lightsail

Simple and beginner-friendly setup

Predictable monthly pricing

Integrated SSH access without needing external tools

A perfect platform for practice, personal blogs, or quick client demos

What I’m Exploring Next

Setting up HTTPS using Bitnami’s HTTPS configuration tool

Scheduling automatic backups and snapshots

Connecting a custom domain name to the Lightsail instance

Conclusion
Launching a WordPress site on AWS Lightsail is a great way to learn both cloud infrastructure basics and content management using WordPress. If you're new to cloud computing or WordPress, this is a practical and cost-effective place to start.

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